Help In Hardware
by holypaigejeevas
Summary: Temari didn't know anything about puppets. And she didn't want to. But a strange encounter at the hardware store might change her mind.


Yeah, it's crack. It happens. Don't judge, just enjoy. I think in a different place and time they could work.

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><p>"Please Temari!" Her younger brother was pleading with her.<p>

"I don't understand why you can't go yourself." She was sitting on the couch in the middle of a book.

"Because I have to help Gaara and I really need the parts today. I'm trying to become as good as Sasori-sama!" He was begging. She sighed. She wasn't about to get him started on Sasori again. Once he started he wouldn't stop. All he could talk about was how great his puppets were and there's only so much puppet talk she could handle.

"Fine, give me the list." She stood, realizing how much shorter she was to Kankuro.

Her handed it over, "Thank you so much." And left.

How was she going to be able to figure any of this out? She didn't know anything about puppets. Temari attached her fan on her back and headed out. She wasn't even sure where the hardware store was, did Suna even have one? _I hope this won't take all afternoon._ She had her own weapon to work on.

She finally found the shop and walked in, a bell by the top of the door rang when it opened, but the shop owner didn't even glance at her.

She walked up and down each aisle trying to understand the things on his list. I was asking for wood she'd never heard of and nails and screws made from metal she'd never heard of. _How am I going to find any of this?_

When she found the aisle with the nails she froze. There was man in it and all she could think of was how red his hair was and how similar it was to Gaara's. She took a breath and went in. Trying not to draw attention to herself she just looked at the hardware before her and couldn't find anything. Nothing looked familiar to her. She stood on her tip toes to look at the top shelve and nothing. She crouched down to look and the bottom shelves and nothing. Temari put her hands on her knees and shook her head.

The man next to her began to chuckle and she look up at him. He was laughing at _her._ She stood up and crossed her arms. "How do you know what any of this means?" she asked him and he just stared blankly at her.

"What are you looking for?" He seemed genuine so Temari handed him the list.

"I don't know. I don't know anything about puppets." He seemed to perk up when she mentioned puppets, but he also seemed disappointed.

He looked at the list and then to her and started chuckling again. "You can't find anything because you're in the wrong aisle. Here, follow me."

And she did. He seemed to know what he was doing and she wasn't about to question someone's help. She'd be lost for hours. "So what's your name kid?"

"It's rude to ask someone's name before giving your own." They were still walking.

_How big can this place be?_ But then she was a bit surprised he didn't know. Almost everyone in Suna knew who she was or at least knew her reputation. "I'm Temari. So what's your name?"

"Sasori." He stopped in front of a set of shelves and began looking.

_This is the guy Kankuro's always going off about? In here of all places? _She laughed. _This is what he gets for making me go._

Sasori picked out a box and handed it too her, he began to walk away, but she grabbed his arm. He froze at the contact, "Can you help me look for the other things." The blonde let go of him and scratched the back of her head nervously.

"You really don't know anything?" He seemed really disappointed.

She pointed to the fan on her back. "Look, I use a fan. I need quick results. I don't have time to wait and sit around making puppets." Then his expression became amused. Something told her he understood about waiting.

"I'll help." He looked at the list and was off again. She followed him in silence until they reached another aisle. I guess his curiosity got that best of him. "How do you fight with a fan?"

She rolled her eyes. _Why does everyone ask this? _"You think it's lame, don't you? You think it's girly. I would show how much power I can use if it wouldn't knock down the whole damn store. And just how big is this fucking place?" She didn't realize her stopped and ended up running into him. Before she had a chance to loose her balance, he grabbed her arm and steadied her.

He quickly let go and stared at her. She stared back. They stated like that a moment, neither breaking eye contact. Then she realized how close they were and she took a step back. He seemed to understand the situation and handed her the second box. She couldn't even make out what was in it.

He took off again and she followed in silence. He went back and forth handing her more boxes, it felt like they just going from one end to the other. "Isn't there anyway we can speed this up?"

"You never told me how you fight with a fan." There was humor in his voice. Was he actually _teasing_ her?

"I'm a wind user. I create massive winds, similar to cyclones and it cuts down everything in it's path. It's like a work of art." He stopped and turned to her. Her face was red and her posture was terrible because of the effort she was making not drop anything.

He started chuckling at her. Again. "You'd make a great puppet." He grabbed some of her items and put them in the basket he was carrying. She was taken back. What would she say to that? What did that even mean?

Temari got into his face. "Look, just because you're some great puppet master and you have great hair doesn't mean you can keep making fun of me and teasing me."

He leaned back a bit and raised an eyebrow at her. "Great hair?"

"Well.. I-" _Fuck, I said that out loud?_ She took a step back. She didn't like fumbling over her words. Only her brothers could make her do that. "Are we done yet?"

"Almost. One more thing." He went to the other end of the store for what seemed like the fifth time that day and again she followed. This time he put the box in his basket. She went to grab for the basket, but Sasori stopped her. His grip on her arm was frightening.

She didn't back down and he seemed amused again. "Why do you need all this supplies?"

"It's for my brother." She pulled her arm away from him and began eying. _Why is he toying with me? Why am I letting him?_

"Hmm." She wasn't sure what he was thinking, but he finally turned to walk to the cashier.

"Finally, I can get home." The cashier rung up her things. She could feel him staring at her. "What?" Temari grabbed her bags.

"You really are an odd girl." He followed her out of the store.

"Tch. Well you're an odd guy." She wasn't sure what he wanted from her.

"Maybe we should talk again. You can tell me more about that fan."

She didn't know why, but she like the sound of that and smiled. "Maybe you can teach me more about puppets."

"Hn." He turned to walk away.

"Thanks for your help, Sasori-sama." She put on her cocky smiled and walked away.

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><p>"Temari, I'm amazed!" She smirked at her brother. "How did you get everything I wanted? Even I get lost in that store."<p>

"I'm not as bad as you think." She went to go back to her book.

"Wait, why is there a puppet version of you and your fan?" Kankuro's words stopped her. _Was this why he made it take so long?_

She snatched it from him and walked away, only smiling when her back was turned. She looked over the puppet in her hand and looked at all the detail. He made it in such little time too. He truly was a master. And she couldn't wait for her next encounter with him.


End file.
